So far, only Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2, Tank! Tank! Tank!, and Need for Speed: Most Wanted have been given precise release dates, with Tank! Tank! Tank! having already released on the eShop.

Yet, not all hope is lost for Japanese Wii U owners. Other titles set for release in the first half of this year include Pikmin 3, Game & Wario, Dragon Quest X and Wii Fit U.

North American and European Wii U owners should count on receiving these games too, as well as Rayman Legends, LEGO City: Undercover, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and more.

In addition, eShop releases will no doubt play their part to wane the coming months. High-quality downloads including Runner 2, Toki Tori 2, Cloudberry Kingdom and Mutant Mudds Deluxe are all on their way, as well as The Cave, headed to the eShop this month.

The console is still young, however, so criticisms and complaints are certainly unwarranted. Still, for some of us, these next few months may see a hold in spending and and an increase in saving. After all, E3 is but months five months away, and the announcements therein will surely entice.

What games are you looking forward to? Do you think 2013 for the Wii U seems promising, lacking, or somewhere in between?

I think you underestimate Pikmin 3 as a system seller…though the line-up is a little bleak for now.

oontz

I agree and am eagerly looking forward to Pikmin 3!!! Love the original! But seriously, NSMBu and Pikmin 3 can only hold me over for so long… I want the heavy hitters to be shown!!

MujuraNoKamen

So far it is a little weak but games coming soon like Aliens: Colonial Marines,Rayman legends, Pikmin 3, Wii Fit U, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Lego City: Undercover will surely be quite popular. The problem I see coming is (since this lineup only covers up to quarter 2 of this year) we’re going to hit a dry spell this spring. Summer will give us E3 which will be a big one but it will probably be at least a couple of months after E3 before any of the announced games are ready for release (and even then that could only be a few games) meaning we’ll have a few good games soon and then a massive drought until autumn/winter which won’t be enough to make up for it. Another problem this creates is at E3, not only will N’s 2013 roster look dull but, Microsoft’s next console will steal the buzz from Wii U when Nintendo should have some big games out before that happens, since a Zelda and 3D Mario aren’t going to be done for a while yet, I’ll bet it’s Bayonetta 2 and Retro’s project (Maybe Starfox/or preferably Metroid) that are going to be mid/late 2013’s offerings from Ninty. Hopefully a Nintendo Direct soon will finally fill in the gaps and it also comes down to how quickly after E3 top games will hit the shelves.

oontz

“we’re going to hit a dry spell this spring”

Maybe you…
I (along with millions of other gamers) will be enjoying GTA5 and The Last Of US!!!!

MujuraNoKamen

I’ll be enjoying GTA 5 soon too, what I meant was Wii U will hit a dry spell in spring after Pikmin 3 is out 🙂

I just can’t wait for ANY news about the next big Zelda, Mario, Pokemon, Sonic, Super Smash Bros, y’know all those games to be given at least some screenshots or some info~! And I heard Nintendo is coming up with some new series, so I can’t wait to see what they come up with either! I just wanna hear some news about major games to PUMP ME UP~ :3

Tim van Broekhoven

I just can’t wait for the E3! I am sure nintendo will announce some big titles.

DemonRoach

Getting close to Nintendo’s worst launch in history. I hope they are doing something that they have not told us.

Sidney Majurie

“Getting close to Nintendo’s worst launch in history”

Your history in gaming must be very short. N64 had what, 3 total games for the first month and a half LOL. And you obviously haven’t been a gamer long enough to know that Nintendo has ALWAYS been secretive about their releases until a couple months before they release these games with a few exceptions…

oontz

Well since you mention Nintendo 64… there was a TON of info about games for (the then titled) Ultra 64. In the January (1996) issue of EGM alone there were game details and pictures for (the then titled) Zelda 64, Pilot Wings 64, Star Fox 64, Wave Race 64, Mario Kart R, and more. Not to mention GamePro that had HUGE spreads on both Ultra Mario 64 and Shadows of the Empire.

The same holds true for SNES and also GAMECube. It seems not until the “Wii” era did Nintendo start being secretive about what games are to come.

Show people the Games and they WILL buy your system, everyone loves Nintendo.

*FYI* you shouldn’t say someone or something ALWAYS does something and then contradict yourself by saying “with a few exceptions”

Sidney Majurie

If you take issue with my stance on Nintendo’s secrecy, then I suggest you read THE book on Nintendo called “Game Over” and there is tons in there about why Nintendo is secretive and holds it’s cards close.

Ninty as you put it, “showed people the games” for both N64 and Gamecube, and they were Nintendo’s worst selling systems so… All the games you’re talking about are all Nintendo franchise games(except Star Wars but as I look at my copy of the game, I believe Nintendo published it). No one was surprised those games were coming to a Nintendo system. Does anyone not believe, Mario Kart, Next 3D Mario, Zelda, etc are not coming to Wii U? So why would Nintendo show those games now in their early stages. People excited about the next Mario or Zelda have already bought a Wii U or will be buying one in the coming months without full page gaming mag spreads.

Nintendo was in a much less friendly position then. Sega had Saturn, Sony had Playstation and a good head of steam, Nintendo had the failing Virtual Boy. They had to prove their next system was worth the buy, hence play more cards. With the Wii U, they’re in a much better position being first to the gate. Expect big things at E3 and beyond before the competition launches their next platforms. They have no need to blow their loads at launch.

I love people like you on gaming threads who come in all pretentious and condescending about they way people express their impulse thoughts and feelings in this limited forum. I guess 60% of the time you’re right all the time…

oontz

“Your history in gaming must be very short. N64 had what, 3 total games for the first month and a half LOL. And you obviously haven’t been a gamer long enough to know that Nintendo has ALWAYS been secretive about their releases until a couple months before they release these games with a few exceptions… ”

This comment IS condescending.
My comment was factual and helpful. I wasn’t being pretentious or condescending, I was simply providing factual evidence to dispute your statements and I was also helping you with your grammatical error.

spyridus

Hope they start releasing Gamecube games on Virtual Console. That will hold me over until bigger new releases.

That might even hold me over too… and I hope that its all gamecube games not just stuff by Ninitendo. Got to have my F-Zero GX, Mortal Kombat Deception, Rogue Squadron 2, Soul Calibur guest starring link. If I had to pick some Nintedo games they would be, Mario Sunshine, Wave Race, and gotta have Double Dash..

Whenever i read about gamecube games on the wiiu and i see wishlists i always see wind waker. Why not four swords adventures? They could add a single player mission like the anniversary edition or use the gamepad with wii motes or even 3ds

world_gamer

Four sword already have a single player adventure

devmiles

all nice guys but most of the older nintendo players have all these games already so that kind of news would not excite me at all.. instead work on some proper wii-u output that’s what i would think..

I’m for one am fed up, I’m 36 my generation started the Nintendo era, by the time 5mo. Roles around it will be the middle of 2013, almost 2014, even when 2014 comes in we are going to get more excuses more delays like as of late. Nintendo should be smart & at least give us the demos from tour of Nintendo to hold us over. Wy can’t we have the Pikmin 3 demo it obviously exists they were playing it on all the tours, heck ill even take the direct feed of the Zelda HD demo something to hold us over. Even when E3 comes along looking at the quarter release dates besides 4 major titles everything else is hog wash. Like I said my generation helped Nintendo to its glory in the 80’s, they can at least do better to appeal to us. This is a sorry release with all promises that are pretty much delayed. I know I sound like a Whitney kid right now, but I have been loyal to them for yrs, watching the other systems get every game. Loyalty & patience only runs but so far after a while. At least give us some good demos to hold us over Nintendo we are currently in the dark don’t know why everything has to a seceret.

dude, absolutely..read my posts.. i feel 100% with you.. i’m one of the first generation nintendo players and contributed to their succes in the first place, in a time and era where they did deliver with great concepts and games. i made my long stories about how i feel about the wii-u release, sloppyness, loose of touch with customers and sucky smile Reggie showing us Nintendoland… come the fuck on! Mii-verse where you get banned showing your real name of any contact info, the era of single housemoms on balanceboards..WTF is this? eversince the N64 nintendo got very sloppy at launches and apparently most younger people are not that sceptic about anything (music,tv,games or whatever) i feel nintendo is really disconnecting from what the actual gamers want, their communication is very poor and the wii-u’s launch was kinda saved by poor ports of games we have played already on x360 and ps3. nintendo’s own output is very very poor so far and i’m not letting them get away with another (although 1080p and cool) 2d rathr simple mario game. we should have been blown away like mario 64 did when we saw that in 96. now we have a single touch tablet with a battery that lasts like 2/3 hours and very mediocre games. i know they are starting up and we should give it a chance.. i was first in line at launch to get a wii-u but it is collecting dust already. look at the 3ds.. it’s an ok system but i miss the magic.. i do miss the nintendo magic. It’s so simple..make good games, make HD remakes of old classics for the new generation but also for the oldskoolers like us, it generates money and we WILL buy it, why so difficult?
We such a slow OS? Why so many tiny things that could have been worked out better?
This is not next gen..at least not now and not in a long while…

Ben Vangenechten

Right now i find it a bit lacking, but there are enough games that i’m interested in to make me not regret buying it so early. Most of them the ones that were delayed. :'(

Agahnim letsplay

can’t wait for virtual console for wii u

marius valasinas

Why Alens: Colonial marines haven’t been mentioned?

Nintenjoe82

I have to admit that I am not massively excited about the next 6 months but it is still one of the best I’ve ever known. Most of us would pick Zelda, 3D Mario, Metroid and Mario Kart over Pikmin, Lego, NSMB and Wario but this means we’re getting plenty of good games and the best is still yet to come!!

Nintendo’s E3 software unveiling will steal the show from Sony and Microsoft’s hardware unveiling. I’m sure Nintendo is keeping quiet for a reason. They don’t spill the beans if nobody’s hungry.

oontz

Yeah because their last E3 stole the show… you know what MS and Sony are going to show when they reveal their hardware??? GAMES… even games that wont be released for a few years! Games to make people buy their system. I own a WiiU, I love it… but let’s not pretend Nintendo will “Steal the Show” at this E3.

Good day sir!

Sidney Majurie

So I see your condescending replies aren’t limited to my posts exclusively. LOL

Ehh, I don’t really see this line-up as weak. Monster Hunter looks awesome, as do Rayman Legends, LEGO City, Game & Wario, Aliens, Wonderful 101, and especially Pikmin 3, and those are all due within the next 6 months unless I’m mistaken. I’m sure there are a few more that have yet to be announced too, since Nintendo previously said they were only showing games they were planning on releasing during the “launch window” to give those games more attention.

Wayne Beck

The coming line-up is definitely not weak. The only thing it is missing is an Epic Nintendo franchise. Pikmin is all well and good, but it’s a puzzle game. This system needs an action packed first party title and it’s line-up will be perfect.

I’d be on the look out for a Star Fox or Metroid like game in the near future. I’ve also heard rumor of a new Nintendo Franchise. Let’s hope it something aimed at “Core” gamers, if for no other reason than to shut them up.

Dominic Coradazzi

I hope Nintendo realizes that we’re gonna need the Virtual console to keep us pacified during the inevitable dryspells
I love my Wii U but please Nintendo, throw me a bone

devmiles

i was first in line to get one but collecting dust already… thanks nintendo

MetroidZero

Can’t wait to see the SSBU trailer… o.o’

I Can’t Think of a Name

Yeah. I can’t wait to see all of the changes they’ve made to the characters.
Because in Brawl, Link’s face got more serious, his tunic getting more detailed, Mario’s overalls finally look jean-ish, Samus’ Power Suit got shinier. If they can get more detailed than that that’d be AWESOME, right?

Death47

Honestly, MH3U and Pikmin 3 would probably hold me over until 2014…

Mh3U is just epic

Srpg2ishere

This doesn’t really affect me because I don’t have lots of money and can’t afford games like that. And then I usually have to end up seeking only the best of the best games because I wanna enjoy it to the fullest. lol. Btw next game for me is tekken tag 2. Anybody got that? It looks epic to me. Can’t wait!

Desiderio Lazaro

I agree, why have loads of bullcrap games? I also want to try the best ones and the lauch line-up can easily fill me up until E3 plus the games already out by then

Mario Party 3 is okay but howwabout Mario Party 4! YEAAAAAH! I love MP and it’ll be the day when Mario Party goes online! Just imagine playing mario party with other people around the world. Talk about competitive especially with team mode.

I agree that the Wii U eShop could really stand to be organized in a more intelligent way. I’m liking the dedicated indie game section it has, but it appears to be a temporary category. However, downloadable only =/= indie. Some indie developers release physical games (Psychonauts, Minecraft, hell, even Pier Solar) and not every downloadable-only game is an indie game.

oontz

Would love to use the eshop… problem is I live in Asia, own an American Wiiu and the eshop wont let me use my credit cards cause they’re from asia not north america 🙁 where can I buy vouchers online???? PLEASE HELP ME!

to be honest i am not to bothered with so called game cube games coming to e shop, unless they can be played with the gamepad an on the gamepad screen, an also have improved visuals, other then that i am not to bothered, i dont know about you guys, but i already own over 100 top game cube games, which i play on my wii,the thing i want is for them to update the e shop more often, even if its with game cube games or even better wii games, which up scale properly, not like how wii u does it now, look at dolphin on pc, that up scales wii games an makes them look even more awesome! the wii u up-scaling has disappointed me,also we need demos, there are only 2 demos on wii u, at the moment, wtf?? an where are all the nes, snes an n64 games? come on nintendo

oontz

Why not use some recent press photos of the Retail Gamepad?

Conniption-Fit

I have 6 games for the thing already, and I plan on buying Aliens, Rayman, Monster Hunter, Injustice, and a slew of eShop stuff. I’m not exactly concerned.

Kcasillas190

Ayye, at least we got a Nintendo Direct in February. Maybe some new games and other shiyeet will be announced in dat. But foreal, Nintendo is probably trying to hold out till E3 2013 for when the Nextbox and PS4 get revealed.

devmiles

so far nintendo’s communication and confirmation on wii-u titles are very poor. i mean fist of the north start, tank tank tank will guarantee poor reviews. ok, pikmin 3.. as a small tranquilizer, but then? ok, some gamecube titles we might already have.. what then? any announcements on HD remakes? any news on what would really excite us to save up some money? so far only news that great games won’t be released on wii-u and furthermore a slow gearshift in the offer of some new eshop titles… seriously, i’m not impressed with this. what was all that fuzz about? pokemon? nintendo please…… i’m 31

Zelly Jeffers

Such impatience. As much as I’d love more games released NOW NOW NOW, I’m still working on Assassin’s Creed III, Trine 2, Batman Arkham City, and Zombi U, with a sprinkling of Nintendoland. I managed to finished Little Inferno.

I’m absolutely looking forward to Pikmin 3 and LEGO City: Undercover. Those are the two big games I want. Just thinking of LEGO City: Undercover, in particular, makes me nerdgasm.

Linskarmo

I’m most excited for LEGO City: Undercover and Rayman Legends, from what’s on this list. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate looks promising as well.